DHARWAD: Karnataka Telecom Circle Chief General Manager S. Ramaganapathy has said that the mobile phone expansion programme is nearing completion in Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri districts.

Speaking at the inauguration of the CDMA mobile switching centre here on Monday, he said BSNL's mobile phone service is now available in many places such as Kumarpattanam, Masur, Kaginele, Guttal, Dumbal, Amminabhavi, Konnur, Garag and Uppinabetageri.

Mr. Ramaganapathy said the mobile switching centre in Dharwad is the second of its kind in the State. Around 110 towers are ready for commissioning along with the exchange. This will serve the entire north Karnataka as the waiting list in these areas can be cleared soon, he added.

Inaugurating the mobile switching centre, Pralhad Joshi, MP, praised Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. for the strides it has made in the field of telecommunication.

But he felt that there is scope for improvement in the conduct of employees of BSNL towards customers. Even today, people prefer BSNL to other companies. The employees should understand this and improve their service, he said.

Manjunath Kunnur, MP, underscored the need for strengthening the mobile phone service in Haveri and Shiggaon. A separate telecom district should be carved out for Haveri district, he added.

Mr. Pralhad and Mr. Kunnur released the Kannada and English versions of the telephone directory. D.S. Narendra, General Manager, Dharwad Telecom District, and others were present.

Gadag

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ramaganapathy inaugurated the customer service centre set up in Gadag. Elaborating on the new initiatives by BSNL, Mr. Ramaganapathy said customers can now book landline connections by dialling 1500. He said BSNL's broadband service is now available in Hubli, Dharwad and Gadag. In four months, the facility will be extended to Haveri and taluk headquarters, he added.

Mr. Ramaganapathy said all the 90 rural exchanges in Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri districts have been modernised.

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